Hydraulically loaded feed rolls for corrugated paper stock



Feb. 17, 1959 w. GROBMAN 2,873,968

HYDRAULICALLY LOADED FEED ROLLS FOR CORRUGATED PAPER STOCK Filed April 8, 1957 I5 Sheets-Sheet 1 FIGI.

t A H Feb. 17, 1959 HYDRAULICALLY Filed April 8. 1957 w; GROBMAN 2,873,968

Feb. 17, 1959 w. GROBMAN HYDRAULICALLY LOADED FEED ROLLS FOR CORRUGATED PAPER STOCK Filed April 8, 1957 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 United States Patent HYDRAULICALLY LOADED FEED ROLLS FOR "CORRUGATED PAPER STOCK William Grobman, Philadelphia, Pa., assignor to Samuel M. Langston 'Co., Camden, N. J., a corporation of New Jersey Application April 8, 1957,Serial No. 651,446 4 Claims. Cl. 271-51 This invention relates primarily to machines for performing operations such as printing and slotting on box or like blanks more particularly of corrugated board.

In feeding individual blanks of this character to the rotary printing cylinders or slotting or scoring heads of such machines there are several critical operating require ments. The blanks must be fed, for example, positively in timed relation to the continuous rotary movement of the cylinder or head so that the printed impressions or other work may be uniformly placed on the blanks. Additionally, this positive delivery of the blanks must be effected without imposing pressure on the corrugated stock beyond its capacity to resist crushing. Further, the feed must be of a character capable of accurate adjustment for precise regulation of the amount of pressures and to distribute the pressures uniformly over the blank width, or to afford a calculated inequality of pressures at opposite sides of the blank compensating for lack of uniformity in the latter, so as to maintain the blanks squarely in alignment in their approach to the cylinder or roll. It is important also that the feeding pressures imposed on blanks of any given character be maintained uniform at the predetermined value or values regardless of minor inequalities in the dimensions or physical state of the blanks.

It is a primary object of the invention to provide a feed mechanism capable of meetingv in high degree the aforesaid requirements, as well as others hereinafter appearing.

The invention contemplates also a feed roll loading means which, unlike the prior conventional loading devices utilizing springs, will afford in addition to the loading function a simple and immediate means for release of loading pressures and for separation of the feed rolls.

The invention may be more readily understood by reference to the attached drawings wherein Fig. 1 is a verticalsectional view showing the feed rolls and their relation to the printing cylinder;

Fig. 2 is a sectional elevation on the line 22, Fig. l,

and includes a diagrammatic showing: of the hydraulic loading systemfor the. feed rolls;

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary side. elevational view showing details of the feed roll mechanism;

Fig. 4 is an elevational view similar to that of Fig. 3 but on a reduced scale; and fromthe opposite side of the machine, printing cylinder shaft being. shown in section;

Fig. 5 is a sectional view on: the line 5 5, Fig.3;

Fig. 6 is an enlarged sectional view on the line 6-6, Fig. 5, and

Fig. 7 is a fragmentary side elevational view similar to Fig. 4 but illustrating a modification within the scope of the invention.

In the drawings, the reference numeral 1 indicates a printing cylinder, and 2 a backing roll for said cylinder. The cylinder and roll are carried on shafts 3 and 4 respectively, which are suitably journalled in the side frames 5, 5 of the machine. The blanks of corrugated board or other stock, indicated by the reference numeral 6, are passed over a table 7 to a pair of feed rolls 8 and 9 "ice which adjoin the cylinder 1 and roll 2. The roll 8 is carried on a shaft 11 journalled in the side frames 5, 5 and the axis of this roll is relatively fixed. The roll 9 is carried by a shaftll journalled in bearings 13 in a pair of arms or links 14 and 15 which are pivotally mounted on the side frames 5, 5 through the medium in the present instance of stub shafts 16 and 17 respectively. The pivoted links 14 and 15 provide for adjustment of the floating roll 9 to and from the roll 8.

Each of the links 14 and 15 has at its forward free end a pair of lugs 18 and 19 which provide bearings for the trunnions 21 and 22 of a member 23. The upper end of this member is split longitudinally as indicated at 24 and this upper end also has a threaded bore 25 which receives a screw 26. The screw has a knurled head 27 for adjustment of the screw 2a in the bore 25, and a screw 28 threaded into lugs 29 at opposite sides of the split 24 provides a means for clamping the screw 26 in adjusted position in the bore. At the top of the head 27 of the screw is a washer 31 which seats and is angularly adjustable in a concave socket 32 in the top of the head, the washer being secured in adjusted position by a screw 33. The function of this screw and of the washer 31 will be hereinafter described.

' The lower end of the member 23 isprovided with a threaded bore 34 which receives the correspondingly threaded end of the piston rod 35 of a hydraulic cylinder 36. The rod may be anchored against rotation in the bore 34 by a lock nut 37. The lower end of the cylinder 36 is pivotally anchored on a pin 38 in a bracket 39 secured to the proximate side frame. 5 as shown in Figures 2 and 3. The cylinder 36 has ports 41 and 4-2 at top and bottom respectively through which hydraulic pressure fluid may be applied to and exhausted from the cylinder as hereinafter more specifically described. The cylinder and the associated elements described above are identical for'each of the links 14 and 15 and the corresponding parts of the assemblies are indicated in the drawings by the same reference numerals.

Driving torque is transmitted to the feed rolls 3 and 9 in a manner calculated to avoid torsional deflection of the rolls. To this end the roll shafts 11 and 12 are provided with spur gears at each end indicated respectively by the reference numerals 43 44, 45 and 46. The gears 43 and 45 are interconneced by a pair of idlers 47 and 48, the idler 47 being mounted on a stub shaft 49 supported in the adjoining side frame 5; and the gear 48 being journaled on the pin 17, see Fig. 5, which forms the pivotal-support for the link 15. The gears 44 and 46 at the opposite ends of the roll shafts are similarly interconnected by idlers 51 and 52, the idler 51 being journaled on a stub shaft 50 in the side frame 5, and the gear 52 being journaled on the pivot pin 16 for the link 14. In the present instance the rolls are driven from a gear 53 on the cylinder shaft 3 which meshes with the idler 4.7, see Fig. 4; and as also indicated in this figure, the idler- 48 is engaged with a gear 54 on the shaft 4 of roll 2. Y

The gear 46 is secured to, the; shaft 12 through. the medium of a collar 55 keyed to the shaft and secured to the gear by a screw 56 threaded into the gear and passing through an arcuate slot 57 in the collar. This connection affords angular adjustment of the gear 46 about the shaft axis and with respect to the shaft. As shown in Fig. 3, the screw 56 is anchored in adjusted position in the slot 57 by set screws 58 and 59 on the collar which may be tightened against the opposite sides of the screw 56. The aforedescribed arrangement provides in effect a driving connetcion from both ends of the upper feed roll 8 to the corresponding ends of the lower feed roll 9 thereby eliminating torsional deflection in the rolls. Obviously 3 the driving connection is maintained regardless of relative displacement of the feed rolls.

As previously indicated, the lower feed roll 9 is operatively connected through the links 14 and 15 and members 23 with hydraulic cylinders 36. Hydraulic pressure applied to the lower ends of the cylinders through the ports 42 will elevate the roll, the elevation of the roll and its ultimate proximity to the upper feed roll 8 being determined by the set screws 26, the washers 31 at the upper ends of these screws being engageable with the undersurfaces 61 of overhanging portions of the respective side frames 5, see Figs. 2, 3 and 4. Work blanks 6 passing between the rolls 8 and 9 will be subjected to the pressure exerted by the cylinders 36, and in accordance with the invention this pressure can be precisely adjusted as to amount so as not to subject the material of the blank to crushing pressure while still giving suflicient pressure to insure positive feed of the blank. Should the feed of the blanks to the rolls be momentarily interrupted, the screws 26 will retain the rolls suificiently far apart to afiord easy access at the nip for the leading edges of the succeeding blank.

A hydraulic system whereby the feed roll 9 may be thus hydraulically loaded is illustrated in Fig. 2. Each of the cylinders 36 is connected to a separate constant delivery pump, 62 and 63 respectively, which are driven by a common electric motor 64. Each pump delivers pressure fluid drawn from sump 65 to the port 42 of its associated cylinder by way of pipes 66, 67. In each case the connection between pipes 66 and 67 is controlled by a solenoid actuated valve 68. When the valves are energized they connect the pipes 66 and 67, as shown in Fig. 2; and when the solenoids are deenergized the valves move downwardly to disconnect the pipe 67 from pressure pipe 66 and to connect the pipe 67 and therefore port 42 of associated cylinder 36 with the sump by way of pipes 69 and 71. This latter pipe also extends to port 41 of the cylinder which in this instance is permanently connected to sump. In each case the pipe 67 is connected to an accumulator 73 and pressure, gage 74. The hydraulic system for each pump is completed by a pressure relief valve 75 between pressure pipe 66 and sump pipe 1 which may be set individually to aiford a desired operating pressure in its particular system as indicated on the gage.

The electric control circuit for the valves 68 is also shown in Fig. 2. It comprises a main control or motor switch 70, manual loading and unloading switches 72 and 76 respectively, and relay 77. The switch 76 is normally closed as shown in the drawings so that coil 79 of the relay is energized and current flows from source 78 to solenoids of valves 68 to hold the valves in position to deliver pressure fluid to ports 42 of cylinders 36 and thereby to hold roll 9 in elevated or operative position with respect to roll 8.

The roll can be unloaded by opening switch 76 thereby deenergizing coil 79, and opening relay 77. This deenergizes solenoids of valves 68 which then move as described to connect ports 42 of cylinders 36 to sump. The roll may be reloaded by closing switch 72 to energize coil 79 and close relay 77, again actuating valves 68 to deliver hydraulic fluid to ports 42 of cylinder 36. (hrcuit through switch 76 holds circuit of coil 79 after reopening of switch 72.

It is evident that there may be modification of the aforedescribed devices without departure from the invention. In the modification of Fig. 7, for example, the lower feed roll 81 is relatively fixed and the upper roll 82 is hydraulically loaded in accordance with the principle described above. In this case springs 83 attached to the arms or links 84 which support the upper roll tend to hold the roll in elevated, inoperative position and the cylinders 85 act by admission of hydraulic medium to the lower ports 86 to elevate the outer ends of the links and to depress the roll 82 against the spring pressure and to load the roll as described. In all other essential respects the assembly of Fig. 7 is the same as that shown in the other figures.

I claim:

1. In a machine for performing operations such as printing on blanks of corrugated board or like work stock susceptible to crushing under pressure, the combination with cyclically movable devices for performing said operations, of means for feeding the blanks thereto successively in uniform predetermined position and in precisely timed relation with the cyclical movements of said devices, said feeding means comprising a relatively fixed roll and mechanism for rotating said roll in timed relation to the movement of said devices, a floating roll forming with said relatively fixed roll a complementary pair engageable respectively with the opposite faces of said blanks, means for operatively connecting the rolls at both ends for positive synchronized rotation, a fluid pressure motor means connected to each end of the floating roll for urging the roll toward complementary roll and against the blanks, engaged with the latter roll, and a fluid pressure system for supplying pressure fluid to said motor means and including devices for accurately adjusting pressures of the fluid so supplied.

2. A machine according to claim 1 including adjustable means at each end of the floating roll for limiting the advance movement of the floating roll toward the relatively fixed roll.

3. A machine according to claim 1 wherein the means for operatively connecting the rolls comprises at each end a gear on each of the rolls, a pair of relatively fixed idler rolls meshing respectively with the first named gears and with each other, and a link providing a support for the floating roll and angularly movable about the axis of the idler gear immediately connected with said roll.

4. A machine according to claim 3 wherein the fluid motor means are connected respectively to said links.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Great Britain Apr. 4, 1956 

